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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26458399">so much for summer love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowcrawler/pseuds/Shadowcrawler'>Shadowcrawler</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Beach Holidays, Case Fic, F/F, Gen, Hacking, Inhumans (Marvel), Mission Fic, Small Towns</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:27:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,572</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26458399</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowcrawler/pseuds/Shadowcrawler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Daisy and Jemma get to go to the beach! Except it's on Inhuman business.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jemma Simmons/Skye | Daisy Johnson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Bioquake Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>so much for summer love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For Bioquake Week day 3, "mission," and also for my Marvel Femslash Bingo card, the "beach trip" square. Because I'm shameless and lazy and will absolutely smash two unrelated prompts together.</p>
<p>Also, originally this was an extended Avatar: The Last Airbender joke, but then I remembered Grant Imahara died and got really sad about it, so pretend Lee is played by him. I don't have any cool personal stories, but he was a great panel moderator at my local con and actually modded Chloe's first solo panel. RIP. &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I sort of assumed that going to the beach just you and I would involve more casual sunbathing and less actual investigative work,” sighs Jemma as she and Daisy head for the boardwalk. “But ah well.”</p>
<p>“I mean, we’ll have some beach time,” Daisy points out. “Like, a couple hours, maybe.” They’ve theoretically been dropped off here for a couple of days to do recon on a potential Inhuman who owns a tea shop, Cherry Blossom Teas. As the rumors go, service is ridiculously fast - almost too fast to believe, and wherever Lee Ikarashi goes, he leaves a faint burning smell behind him. One person had tweeted a blurry picture of him where it looked as if his hands were glowing, but had been soundly mocked by thousands of people for it. Daisy had been going to write it off as coincidence, but two days ago a news article had popped up about the gift shop next door to Cherry Blossom Teas burning down in a mysterious accident. So now they’re here to make sure Lee’s not a budding arson.</p>
<p>Jemma chuckles. “Well, better than nothing, I suppose. But business first. Where’s this tea shop we’re supposed to be looking for?”</p>
<p>Daisy glances around and then finally, squinting, points to one of the shops at the far end of the boardwalk. “There we go. C’mon, let’s go scope it out.”</p>
<p>As they walk, Jemma casually lets her hand bump against Daisy’s. Daisy takes it and squeezes. This is still such a new thing between them that she doesn’t want to move too fast, but this is really nice. For a little while she almost imagines that they’re just two normal people, holding hands and strolling down the boardwalk at the beach.</p>
<p>And then Jemma says, “So what’s your plan if Lee gets aggressive?”</p>
<p>Well, so much for that fantasy. “Start with talking, then deescalate as needed.” Daisy shrugs. “If he’s chill, I’ll see if he wants to join the team.”</p>
<p>“That works, I suppose.”</p>
<p>Inside, the shop is cosy, well-lit, and features several small tables and chairs as well as an impressive wall of loose-leaf teas for sale. “Oh my goodness,” Jemma whispers, clearly awed. “I’d very much like to try some of these, I’m not as familiar with green tea as I should be. D’you think they’ll mind if I charge a few bags on the SHIELD card?”</p>
<p>“I won’t tell if you won’t,” Daisy says with a fond smirk. </p>
<p>They wait for a couple of minutes, pretending (or not, in Jemma’s case) to look at the teas. There are two servers working, one of whom is a middle-aged Japanese guy with a friendly smile and messy hair. “That’s probably our guy,” Daisy murmurs. “I’m gonna go order something.”</p>
<p>“Can you get me a cup of high-grade matcha?”</p>
<p>“Sure.” The line moves so quickly that Daisy feel like she’s only just stepped into it when suddenly the smiling guy is asking, “Hi, what can I get for you?” His name tag reads LEE in no-nonsense block print.</p>
<p>“Hi. Can I get a cup of…” Daisy squints at the menu for a second. “Asamushi and one of high grade matcha?”</p>
<p>Lee nods and types her order in. “Your total is five seventy two. Give me just a minute and they’ll be ready.”</p>
<p>Daisy swipes the card and then watches him like a hawk as he steps away to get the teas ready. Unfortunately, the other employee (a woman maybe ten years younger than him) steps in her line of sight, blocking him from view. Daisy curses her bad luck and tries to subtly get on her tiptoes to see around the woman, but no such luck. Then, barely a minute later, Lee comes back, holding two steaming cups of tea. “Here you go,” he says cheerfully.</p>
<p>“Thanks,” she says, taking them. “Boy, you guys have fast service around here.”</p>
<p>He doesn’t miss a beat, shrugging self-consciously. “We don’t like to keep people waiting.” </p>
<p>The shop’s pretty empty, so Daisy glances around before she leans in and asks, “If I said I was from SHIELD and I had some questions for you about the local business that burned down earlier this week, what would you do?”</p>
<p>Lee blinks, and an emotion Daisy can’t quite place passes over his face. “Are you here to arrest me?”</p>
<p>“No,” she says quickly. “We just want to talk to you. We can help you.”</p>
<p>Lee raises an eyebrow. “Can you?”</p>
<p>“Probably. If you are who I think you are.” Daisy moves her fingers and makes her tea fly out of the cup and loop around in the air before splashing back into it. Lee’s eyes widen and she smirks. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Okay,” he says, still looking awed. “Uh, let me just let Nicole know I’m stepping out for a minute.”</p>
<p>Outside, the three of them walk a little ways down the boardwalk until they find some convenient benches. “So,” Daisy says, “first of all, do you take fish oil pills?”</p>
<p>A few minutes later, they’re able to confirm with Lee that, yes, he does take fish oil pills; yes, he did undergo terrigenesis about two months ago (he describes it as “I woke up feeling like Han Solo in carbonite,” which endears him to Daisy); yes, he did subsequently develop the ability to generate and control heat with his hands. He hasn’t told anyone from work about it, and the only person who knows is his fiancee Jenny, who caught him holding the charred remains of a shirt as he was trying to get dressed. “I’ve been working on it,” he says anxiously. “I’m a lot better now. Honestly, having something as precise as brewing tea to focus on helps.”</p>
<p>“I bet,” Daisy says sympathetically. “Lee, I’m sorry to ask you this, but do you have an alibi for the night the fire was set?”</p>
<p>Lee winces. “I was at home. Jenny was out - she works the late shift at the diner on weekends. I came home from work, had dinner, drank a beer, and then I got a headache and went to bed early. I know how that looks.”</p>
<p>“It isn’t the best,” Jemma agrees, “but are you sure there isn’t <em>anyone</em> who can confirm where you were? You weren’t texting with anyone, perhaps? Maybe a neighbor who would have seen you come home?”</p>
<p>“You can ask,” he says with a shrug. “Mrs. Fisher goes to bed pretty early, but maybe the couple on the other side saw my lights on or something. I don’t know them very well, they only moved here about six months ago.”</p>
<p>Daisy nods. “We’ll ask around. Is there anything else you can tell us that might help?”</p>
<p>“I don’t think so?” Lee sighs and shakes his head. “I know I can’t make you believe me, but I would never use this to hurt anyone. I just want to make tea.”</p>
<p>“I believe you,” Daisy says. “And we’re gonna do our best to make sure no one blames you for what happened.”</p>
<p>Lee gives her a grateful smile. “Thank you. The police ruled it an accident, but I’ve heard people talk, and business has been slow the last few days. I know that - what’s the word, Inhumans? I know that a lot of people are afraid of them. Us.”</p>
<p>“I’m afraid so,” Daisy says. “But we’re doing our best to help as many as we can. That offer extends to you too, if you want it.”</p>
<p>“I might.”</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Talking to the neighbors proves unfruitful, though Mrs. Fisher offers them some very good scones, much to Jemma’s delight. Once that’s done, they double back to track down the owner of the former gift shop, one A.J. Barnum.</p>
<p>He seems less than thrilled to be speaking with (as far as he’s concerned) more law enforcement, but he agrees to a quick interview. Daisy almost throttles him when he makes a veiled threat against both “those superpowered freaks” and Japanese people in general, which he seems convinced are behind the emergence of Inhumans. But they’re able to confirm that he was at a movie with friends when the fire started, that there was a security camera but the tapes melted in the fire, and that the fire had been ruled an accident. He does give them the number of his one employee, his niece Rebecca. “Okay, so that guy seems sketchy as all hell,” Daisy says once they’re out of earshot. “But a restaurant with people is a damn good alibi. How about you call Rebecca and she if she’s in a talkative mood, and then speak to Lee’s neighbors. I’m gonna do some sniffing around.”</p>
<p>Jemma raises an eyebrow. “And what do you mean by <em>that</em>?”</p>
<p>Daisy shrugs. “Let’s say that I know where to look if you need an arsonist quick and easy.”</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Thirty minutes later, Jemma calls her. “Neither of the neighbors were much help,” she says, “and tracking down Rebecca was a bit of an ordeal. Apparently in the wake of the fire, she’s been asking around if there are any openings for her at any other stores in town. Can’t say I blame her, but it meant she had spotty service and missed most of my calls.”</p>
<p>“Was she any help?” Daisy asks. It’s not likely, considering what Daisy may have uncovered, but it’s worth asking. </p>
<p>“Not really. She worked her normal shift until closing that day, then left, and didn’t hear about the fire until her uncle called her the next day. She was more than a bit stressed out when I talked to her, poor thing, but didn’t know any more than that.”</p>
<p>“Okay. <em>Well,</em>” Daisy says, with a flourish, “I have been holed up in the local internet cafe while you were doing that, and I found something <em>very</em> interesting in ol’ Barnum’s files.”</p>
<p>“Daisy.” Jemma sounds hesitant. “Did you...hack into his computer?”</p>
<p>“Look. I’m pretty sure he-” Daisy glances around before whispering, “did something <em>really bad</em> and illegal and the police clearly didn’t know how to look for it, so why it is a problem that I did?”</p>
<p>“Oh, good lord,” sighs Jemma. “Alright, I’ll come to you and then you can explain to me how you obtained evidence under illegal methods.”</p>
<p>“I love you,” Daisy says sweetly before she hangs up.</p>
<p>It’s not too much longer before Jemma shows up. “Alright,” she says, plopping down in the chair across from Daisy. “What did you find that we can’t submit as legitimate evidence?”</p>
<p>“You are so boring,” Daisy teases, before dropping her voice again. “So, okay, that guy gave me a really bad feeling when we talked to him, right? Just the way he talked about Lee. So I poked around in his internet history - just a <em>little,</em>” she says, at Jemma’s scandalized look. “I only looked into his dark web stuff, I promise. Now, okay, the dark web is kind of a boogeyman nerds made up to sound cool, but there <em>are</em> places where you can get in touch with some really bad people you can hire to do illegal shit. Including arson.”</p>
<p>“Oh my.” Jemma blinks. “So…?”</p>
<p>“So I found super incriminating messages this guy was exchanging with an honest-to-god arsonist-for-hire confirming the date and time when he would set the fire. Dipshit.” Daisy snorts. “I know it’s not admissible in court or anything, but I am gonna send it to him in a neat little package and tell him to lay off Lee.”</p>
<p>“Ah. So less ‘the police will get you for insurance fraud’ and more ‘we see you trying to discredit this other person through nefarious means and we’ll go public unless you stop it’?”</p>
<p>“Exactly!” Daisy grins mischievously. “I have my own theory about why he did it, but it’s not like we can force a confession out of him or anything.”</p>
<p>Jemma raises an eyebrow. “What is it?”</p>
<p>“He was doing some googling on like, ‘how to expand your business,’ ‘how to remodel store,’ stuff like that. I think he was hoping to take advantage of the rumors about Lee to indirectly frame him for burning down his shop, so Lee would have to close his shop, and then he could move in.”</p>
<p>“That’s diabolical, if true,” Jemma says, shaking her head. “Of course we can’t prove it, but it does make sense.”</p>
<p>Daisy nods. “So, yeah, I’m sending him screenshots and stuff right about…” She taps a few keys, then hits the enter button with a flourish. “Now! And hopefully that’ll be enough to scare him into silence.”</p>
<p>“Indeed. Should we go and talk to Lee?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, probably.”</p>
<p>When they explain the situation to him, Lee just sighs. “Barnum’s always been brusque with me. I assumed he was racist, but I guess he couldn’t actually do anything about it before now.” He smirks. “I guess he has more than one reason to be hateful now.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Daisy says. “I wish it was better news, but now that you know that he’s got it out for you, you can hopefully protect yourself.”</p>
<p>“Yes, he isn’t the first,” agrees Lee. “I haven’t gotten this far without learning a few tricks. I’ll be alright.”</p>
<p>“We’ll leave you with our contact info, in case you need backup at some point. And the offer to come and join us still stands.”</p>
<p>Lee laughs. “No, that’s a young person’s game. I’d rather stay here and look after my little shop. Not everyone here is like Barnum.”</p>
<p>“I definitely plan on coming back,” Jemma chimes in. “Your selection is extraordinary.”</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Lee goes over to grab a box of tea. “Please, take this as thanks for helping me.”</p>
<p>“Oh, I couldn’t-”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Daisy says quickly, before Jemma can protest. “We’ll get out of your hair now.”</p>
<p>“Enjoy your tea.”</p>
<p>“Daisy,” Jemma says once they’re outside the shop, “you told Coulson that we’d be ready to leave in a couple of days.”</p>
<p>Daisy shrugs. “Yeah, I didn’t actually think it would be that long.” </p>
<p>“But if you - <em>oh</em>.” Jemma’s grinning now. “I see.”</p>
<p>“Yeah. C’mon, let’s get our beach time in while we can.”</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>“Are you <em>suuuure</em> you don’t want to come in the water?” Daisy asks playfully. </p>
<p>“Quite sure,” Jemma says firmly from where she’s lounging on her towel, reading a book about the history of neuroscience. “The last time I was in the ocean it went terribly, if you’ll recall.”</p>
<p>“Fine, fine.” Daisy bounds off into the water and swims for a bit, until she remembers that swimming in the ocean is kind of unpleasant, actually. So she turns around and goes back to Jemma.</p>
<p>Jemma seems to know exactly what happened. “Back so soon?” she teases. </p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah.” Daisy grabs her towel and dries off as best she can, then spreads it out next to Jemma’s and flops down. “God, you look good,” she adds, glancing over at Jemma and raising both eyebrows. Jemma’s wearing a green bikini that - well, it’s not <em>tiny,</em> but it’s certainly giving Daisy an eyeful. </p>
<p>Jemma blushes a bit. “You don’t look so bad yourself,” she says, nodding at Daisy’s own purple suit. “I certainly don’t have any complaints.”</p>
<p>“I should hope not,” teases Daisy, rolling over so she’s pressed up against Jemma. “See, I got us a whole day of playing hooky. No team, no work, just you, me, and the beach.”</p>
<p>“I appreciate your dedication,” Jemma says, leaning in for a kiss.</p>
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